#researchupdates — Public Fediverse posts

· Researchers found immune abnormalities in the intestines of people with #LongCOVID
[https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.07.743616v1]

· New government report from the U.K. found around 1 in 4 healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic have had Long COVID
[https://nhsrho.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ReachOut-MainReport-Final.pdf]

· Universal healthcare in the U.S. could save the lives of over 114,000 Americans a year
[https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.22.26358689v1]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/08/18/research-updates-august-18/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses in the body
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10740-z]

· Combination of steroid prednisolone and heart medication losartan did not significantly improve heart function in #LongCOVID
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75991-w]

· NIH RECOVER program recently announced funding for pathobiology research
[https://recovercovid.org/news/recover-launches-new-funding-opportunity-pathobiology-research]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/08/11/research-updates-august-11/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· New study in Nature Communications confirmed skeletal muscle abnormalities in #LongCOVID & #ME
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75725-y]

· Large genetic study in Nature Medicine found evidence that fibromyalgia is a central nervous system disorder
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04492-6]

· Black people in the U.S. are less likely to be diagnosed with Long COVID compared to white people
[https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00179]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/08/04/research-updates-august-4/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· #COVID19 can cause long-term eye disorders
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74858-4]

· New study in eBioMedicine found that people with #LongCOVID may have dopamine system damage in their brains
[https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(26)00222-7/fulltext]

· U.K. clinical trial found some repurposed drugs were not effective in treating Long COVID fatigue
[https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(26)00242-2/fulltext]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/07/14/research-updates-july-14/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· Autopsy study found persistent SARS-CoV-2 virus in hearts of people who died after #COVID19
[https://my.uscap.org/uscap/program/S0tc675/index.cfm?pgid=5167&sid=14770&abid=51228]

· Study from Brazil found people with diabetes more likely impacted by #LongCOVID
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-42284-7]

· Small trial concluded “cognitive rehabilitation” may be a potential therapy for LC. But found no improvements in fatigue or sleep disturbances, nor improvements in cognitive scores
[https://thesicktimes.org/2026/07/07/research-updates-july-7/]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/07/07/research-updates-july-7/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· Imaging study in Journal of Primary Care & Community Health identified metabolic dysfunction in brains of people with #LongCOVID who experience #PEM
[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21501319261458748?__cf_chl_f_tk=oLTPWJtQ8V6ZYyu5Vm8ECT6H3C2c1AcUT9yuzpJvJGc-1782832046-1.0.1.1-j_GPUcfADuXKfirk9s0teDl5GRAkL3.wUNsp09oSTws]

· People who have Long COVID are more likely to exit workforce
[https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(26)00548-5/fulltext]

· New LC clinical trial will assess the HIV drug Maraviroc in combination with the cholesterol drug Atorvastatin
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06974084]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/06/30/research-updates-june-30/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· People with #LongCOVID significantly more likely to experience cardiovascular disease after #COVID19, according to new study
[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/11795468261455387#con1]
· Two recent studies on pediatric inflammatory syndrome triggered by COVID-19
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-56351-6 | https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2025-075578/207866/Long-Term-Outcomes-of-Multisystem-Inflammatory]
· Veteran Affairs Office of Research and Development running another potentially harmful behavior trial on Long COVID
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06142253]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/06/23/research-updates-june-23/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· Two recent studies added more evidence that diabetes drug #Metformin can reduce risk of #LongCOVID
[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40121-026-01362-z | https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciag335/8702406]
· Long COVID disproportionately impacts Indigenous people in California
[https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9452333/v1]
· 2020 diagnostic consensus on #MCAS (which can get triggered by #COVID) enabled diagnosis & improved treatment of the condition
[https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/dx-2026-0016/html]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/06/16/research-updates-june-16/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· New study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia found more evidence of alterations associated with Alzheimer’s disease in people with #LongCOVID
[https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.71020]
· NIH launched second phase of adult observational study RECOVER
[https://recovercovid.org/news/recover-launches-second-phase-adult-observational-study]
· Despite extensive research showing LC is a biological disease, Veteran Affairs Office of Research & Development leads potentially harmful behavioral trial of dieting & exercise
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44432-3]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/06/09/research-updates-june-9/

#ResearchUpdates

· The #COVID19 antiviral #ensitrelvir (Xocova), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration
· New study in CELL reinforced that some people with #LongCOVID have autoantibodies that attack the body
[https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(26)00509-X]
· About one in six people with a documented COVID-19 case developed Long COVID, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open
[https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2849452]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/06/02/research-updates-june-2/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes #COVID

· New preprint links #LongCOVID symptom severity with higher DNA levels of the herpesvirus HHV6
[https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.19.26353495v1.full-text]
· Svenska Covidföreningen published resource, “Designing Studies for Patients with #PEM", to improve research methods into #ME & Long COVID
[https://covidforeningen.se/wp-content/uploads/designing-studies-for-patients-with-pem-2.pdf]
· University of California, San Francisco actively recruiting for observational study on myalgic encephalomyelitis
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07227441]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/05/26/research-updates-may-26/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· The antiviral ensitrelvir was found to prevent* #COVID19 in people exposed to #CovidPositive individuals
[https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2509306]
· The U.K. government recently announced £4.75 million ($6.4 million USD) in funding for a genomics study of #ME
[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-mecfs-patients-to-benefit-from-first-genomics-study]
· A new phase 2 trial studying a compound for #LongCOVID related #tinnitus was recently announced
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07567274]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/05/19/research-updates-may-19/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

*hmm

· New study linked ongoing endothelial dysfunction in people with #LongCOVID with neuropsychiatric symptoms
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354626000803?via%3Dihub#sec11]
· Small observational study from Jamaica found nearly half of pediatric participants met the diagnostic criteria for Long COVID
[https://journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/9900/long_covid_19_in_hospitalized_and_ambulatory.1720.aspx]
· Long COVID clinical trial investigating the cancer drug (sirolimus) rapamycin was recently updated to have an open label extension
[https://www.als-mnd.org/support-for-pals-cals/research/open-label-extension/]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/05/12/research-updates-may-12/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID

· A specific formula of probiotics was found to improve fatigue and other symptoms in people with #LongCOVID
[https://aga-fileuploader-bucket.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/389%20Probiotics%20and%20Long%20COVID%20FNL.pdf]
· A new review on Long COVID concluded that addressing the heterogeneity of the disease is crucial for the future development of treatments
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-025-01300-z]
· Another review in Frontiers evaluated PEM
[https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1774310/full]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/05/05/research-updates-may-5/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID #PandemicIsNotOver

· Written memorials of over 500 people who had myalgic encephalomyelitis (#ME) were analyzed in a new study in PLoS One
[https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0343374]
· New study in Pediatric Research found microclots in the blood of children with #LongCOVID
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-026-05024-1]
· A third cancer drug is being trialed for Long COVID
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07388550]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/04/28/research-updates-april-28/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· A new RECOVER study found that #LongCOVID significantly impacts the development of children with the disease
[https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(26)00096-3/fulltext]
· A recent preprint found that a nasal monoclonal antibody improved Long COVID cognitive dysfunction in mice
[https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.07.716934v2]
· A phase four clinical trial in Toronto, Ontario, will evaluate stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) for Long COVID
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07468604?cond=Dysautonomia&aggFilters=status:not%20rec&viewType=Card&rank=3]

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/04/21/research-updates-april-21/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· A new report found that #LongCOVID may cost OECD international economies over $135 billion per year over the next decade
· Long COVID is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study in The Lancet found
· A small study identified persistent immune dysregulation and coagulation in people with post-vaccine syndrome (PVS) from COVID-19 vaccines

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/04/14/research-updates-april-14/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· A clinical trial for non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation failed in improving fatigue in #LongCOVID
· A new study in JACC Advances compared two common types of dysautonomia in Long COVID, as well as their overlap
· German health insurance companies will cover four off-label drugs for Long COVID and related diseases

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/04/07/research-updates-april-7/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID #PandemicIsNotOver

· Heart failure drug Ivabradine didn't significantly improve symptoms for people with #LongCOVID & #POTS, say preliminary results RECOVER researchers shared at conference
· Another study has found that injecting autoantibodies from people with Long COVID into mice causes “pain-like behavior” in the animals
· Clinical trial testing fibrinolytic enzyme lumbrokinase now offering decentralized option, participants can participate from home

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/31/research-updates-march-31/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· More than 150,000 deaths from #COVID19 went uncounted in the U.S. in the first two years of the pandemic, a new study in Science Advances finds
· Swiss researchers have found up to 60% of healthcare workers in a medium-size cohort study may have at least one symptom of #LongCOVID
· Small clinical trial recruiting in Orange, CA, to test Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Field Stimulation in children with post-concussion syndrome and LC

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/24/research-updates-march-24/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· Two recent prevalence studies showed the impact of #LongCOVID on Americans
· A small study shared as a preprint in bioXriv found SARS-C0V-2 spike protein in the gut tissues of people with Long COVID
· Researcher Dianna Arnoux-Whiteman was awarded a $45,000 grant to survey the effects of Long COVID in the Blackfeet Nation

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/17/research-updates-march-17/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· A large retrospective cohort study found significant healthcare cost increases for #LongCOVID over five years
· A South Korean clinical trial evaluated metformin and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for Long COVID, but didn’t find either effective
· Two recent preprints share additional analysis from clinical trials seeking to address viral persistence

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/10/research-updates-march-10/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID

· Researchers identified high levels of cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ) as a potential biomarker for #LongCOVID
· Two new studies compare SARS-CoV-2’s long-term risks to those of the flu
· A small phase 1 clinical trial will test the safety of the cancer monoclonal antibody Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/03/research-updates-march-3/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID

· SARS-CoV-2 reinfections significantly increase the risk of #LongCOVID in children, a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER study found
· A large cohort study found further evidence that people with #HIV have a significantly increased risk of Long COVID following SARS-CoV-2 infection
· An in-depth whole genome sequencing study called Sequence #MECFS and Long COVID is seeking to raise £20 million ($23.6 million USD) in funding

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/24/research-updates-february-24/

#ResearchUpdates #TheSickTimes

· New review in Dovepress states that #LongCOVID, #MECFS & #POTS should be classified as neuroimmune disorders.
· Wearable activity tracker notifications may not be a reliable way to mitigate or reduce PEM, new study in Nature Communications
· Small, phase one study is recruiting in Sacramento & San Francisco, CA to test advanced techniques in total body imaging to improve understanding of “tissue-level immune dysregulation” in the disease

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/17/research-updates-february-17/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID

· A large study recently connected “chronic absenteeism” to pediatric #LongCOVID, further disproving the “immunity debt” talking points from pundits earlier in the pandemic
· A small mechanistic study in Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health found that immunoglobulin G (IgG), isolated from people with #MECFS, can destroy mitochondria in endothelial cells
· ADDRESS-LC has opened two more study sites: a new one in California and one in Connecticut

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/research-updates-february-10/

#ResearchUpdates

· The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted expanded access to the stem cell infusion RegeneCyte for #LongCOVID
· Long COVID isn’t being consistently captured around the world due to differences in sociological factors, diagnostic tools, and healthcare access
· A phase two trial for Long COVID-associated postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (#POTS) is testing a product called 2-hydroxybenzylamine (2-HOBA)

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/03/research-updates-february-3/

#ResearchUpdates #COVID

· A large prospective cohort study published in Infectious Diseases found that a majority of people with #LongCOVID did not recover
· Some researchers in Australia are getting a small boost in Long COVID funding
· The biotech company Invivyd is advancing research of a #COVID19 monoclonal antibody called VYD2311, designed to improve upon the currently-available Pemgarda

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/27/research-updates-january-27/

#ResearchUpdates

· A new study in eBioMedicine found neurological #LongCOVID symptoms were associated with increased pTau-181 levels, a marker of brain inflammation tied to Alzheimer’s disease
· A new “state-of-the-art” review on #POTS highlighted that the multisystemic condition is disabling, causes societal & economic withdrawal
· A phase II clinical trial testing efficacy & safety Uplizna (Inebilizumab) in LC & #MECFS recently announced by German Ministry of Research

https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/20/research-updates-january-20/

#ResearchUpdates